


The Light Inside

by saucyminx



Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-06-09
Updated: 2011-06-09
Packaged: 2017-10-28 09:32:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 17,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/306449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saucyminx/pseuds/saucyminx
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As a teenager Jensen made a stupid mistake that not only hurt a girl but pissed off her gypsy Grandmother. Now Jensen was stuck as a dog, doomed to stay that way until he learned the true meaning of love, and he was fine to stay alone. Of course, being run over by a giant of a man on a bike? Not part of the plan.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

It wasn’t as if Jensen had _meant_ to hurt anyone. He was seventeen, foolish, and his priorities had narrowed down to his friends, drinking, and sex. Back then Jensen had been in denial about his sexuality, not willing to face the complications that came with liking men. So when he’d made out in a closet with Nick Williams, Jensen had suffered something close to a near breakdown.

Hooking up with Addison Luludja had been somewhat of a desperation act. Jensen had wanted to continue his denial of being gay and the alcohol in his system had convinced him sleeping with a girl would cure all things. All it did though was leave him the morning after with a hangover and a girl who was about to get her heartbroken.

Jensen spent a week locked in his room, torn apart as he struggled with his true desires, until he had some type of revelation. There was no use hiding. Jensen came out to his parents, went back to school and told his friends, and it went surprisingly better than he could have imagined. Except for one girl, Addison, who had told all her friends about giving up her virginity to the beautiful Jensen Ackles who was, apparently, gay.

There was no way he could have known who Addison’s Nana was, the power she had that Jensen would never have believed in beforehand. Hardly three nights had passed and Jensen woke one night to find an old gypsy woman hovering over him, her dark eyes gleaming in the moonlight. Jensen had almost screamed but was cut off by an old, wrinkled hand covering his mouth.

“You selfish child,” the woman spat, her voice raspy and seemingly too thick for a woman. “You’ll go your whole life hurting those around you, when your eyes and heart are so hard and cold. But I’m here to teach you a lesson.”

Jensen’s heart was racing, his stomach churning unpleasantly. Fear curled through him but no matter how much he shifted and struggled somehow the woman managed to keep him down. He had no idea what was going to happen but he was beginning to fear for his life.

“Until you can learn selfless love, until you’re willing to give your very life for another, you’re physical form will be exactly what you are.”

The woman’s eyes seemed to glow as she muttered something low under her breath. Something bitter and harsh was shoved into Jensen, liquid following after until he had no choice but to swallow. Things blurred and twisted, Jensen’s eyes fluttered as he struggled to grasp hold of something, anything, to make sense of things. Then the world faded and he slipped into sleep.

When he woke things were different, in a way he couldn’t name at first. The world felt flatter somehow, though the smells were stronger, the noises louder. One shift had his senses picking up and his eyes shot down. There were two golden haired paws on the bed sheets beneath him. Jensen’s arm twitched and the paw moved.

 _No fucking way._

Jensen tried to talk and it came out as a bark. His heart began to race and he lurched forward, only it came more as a leap and his paws padded over the carpet until he stood before his mirror. He was a dog, some type of Shepherd, darker face, lighter fur as it traveled down to his paws. There was a collar around his neck, a single name plate, and that was it.

Seventeen years old and apparently Jensen had been cursed to live as a dog until he experienced selfless love.

That was how it went, from then on out. Jensen had been terrified of what might become of him, should his (highly allergic to dogs) mother find him, his fate was pretty much doomed. It wasn’t as if he could convince them that he was truly Jensen, not just some random stray that had somehow broken into the Ackles house, so he fled.

Jensen had no idea how to live on his own, even less so as a dog than a human. He moved from alleys to open garages, sorted through dumpsters, and stole food from outside cafes. As time passed, he lost track of days, weeks, months. It didn’t feel as if he were aging at all, if he wasn’t he couldn’t tell.

He learned to fight off other strays, find food when he needed it, water, and shelter from the rain. Whatever lesson the woman had been trying to teach him was lost really, because Jensen simply grew harder, colder, not willing to open himself to anyone, running from any stranger whether they wanted to help him or not.

Of course, as the world worked, all things came to a change.

This happened on an average Tuesday afternoon. Jensen had stolen half a cooked chicken from a picnic table and was running with his prize, knowing he just had to outrun the father chasing after him. He didn’t feel guilty for stealing the family’s meal, they could easily get more.

There was a shout as Jensen skid on the sidewalk. His gaze turned up in time to see a large man on a bicycle coming straight for him. Jensen didn’t have time to run, only enough to brace for impact. This was going to hurt.

-=-=-=-

Jared prided himself on cycling safe. Maybe he didn't wear a helmet all the time, like that morning - but it was because he forgot, not because he was trying to prove a point. Getting out of the house in the morning was a challenge for him on a good day. But, when he rode his bike he obeyed the rules, kept looking around him - tried to be alert.

There was just no damn way he could have expected a dog to dart out in front of him. It was a bit of a blur. He saw the brown fur in kind of a streak and then his front tire collided hard with the dog's flank. Jared was already braking which meant that he more or less flew over his handle bars and crashed into a car parked in front of the shelter he worked at.

It took a few moments for him to get his lungs full of air. His head was spinning, his back aching and there was blood already seeping through his jeans. After a quick review of limbs and fingers - noting that everything still moved more or less the way it was supposed to - Jared concluded that things could have been a lot worse.

Well, things could have been worse for him. He heard a weak whimper and blinked a few times until his gaze focused on the projectile that had collided with him. A dog. Probably a Shepard of some kind. It looked like he'd taken the worst of their impact. There was blood on his muzzle, down the side of his leg and he was just lying there, panting softly, whining occasionally.

The very reason that Jared was racing down the road in the first place was that he was late for his shift at the "Dog House". A shelter for hard to house strays. Knowing that he had hurt a dog was about the worst feeling in the universe.

Letting out a short groan, Jared crawled towards the dog and slowly moved his hand down the furry side. "Hey boy. I'm _so_ sorry. We're gonna get you all fixed up, okay?"

"Jared? What happened? You alright?"

Jared recognized his boss Jeffrey's voice immediately. Still stroking the dog gently, Jared looked up at the man. "Jeff, I hit him on my bike. I didn't see 'im. He was so fast and I didn't know-"

"It's okay, Jay." Jeffrey kneeled down beside Jared and began to check the length of the dog's legs. "Karen," he called over his shoulder. "Bring out the gurney, we're gonna need to take him inside."

"Is he gonna be okay?" Jared rubbed his hand down his face and felt tears burning along his eyes. "I didn't see him. I was just riding - and he was running so fast - must have been runnin' away from someone."

Jared's heart felt like it was cast in lead. He hated when animals were hurt, and being responsible for this was just about the worse thing ever.

"Jared, I know you," Jeffrey said softly. "You'd never hurt an animal and everyone knows that. We'll get him right, okay?" When Jared didn't answer Jeffrey stared at him until he nodded slightly.

The dog whined softly and Jared leaned down so he could scratch the soft fur on the top of the dog's head. "Hey you. You're gonna be okay. You just lie still and we'll get you all fixed up."

Blinking his eyes open slowly Jensen looked up at the man as the ground shifted beneath him. He was aware of others, but it was this one that caught his attention. Mainly because of the concern; the soft eyes that looked a light grey in his colorless vision, floppy hair that was slightly matted. The man’s cheeks were slick with tears and Jensen whined, mostly in confusion.

His body was in pain, his ribs maybe, and Jensen hoped it was maybe worse than he thought. Maybe he was going to die. That sounded like a pretty good plan because Jensen was _tired_ of this. Stealing food had nearly killed him; Jensen was getting tired of this.

Jared rubbed the silky soft ear that was flopped down over the dog’s eye and moved it. "Just gonna take you inside and fix you up," Jared murmured. He stepped back so that Jeffrey and a couple of volunteers could lift the gurney back up and take the dog inside.

Jeffrey looked back as they reached the door way. "Get your bike and come in here - you need to get checked out," he barked at Jared.

The older man's voice jolted something in Jared and he turned to look around the street. People were starting to leave, casting sympathetic glances toward Jared. Frowning, Jared picked up his bike and dragged it roughly over to the front grass of the shelter. He tossed it across the lawn and shoved his hair back off his forehead before heading inside.

The front office was empty but Jared could hear the sounds of people moving in the back room. He knew that the dog would get the best care possible at the "Dog House". If he was going to have an accident - this was certainly the place to do it.

Jared had only just sat down on the waiting room sofa when Jeffrey came back through the swinging doors.

Glancing up quickly, Jared tried to stand and winced and sat back down heavily. "Is he okay? What are they-"

"Jared, just sit yer ass down," Jeff grumbled. He headed behind the front desk and came back out with a first aid kit then kneeled down at Jared's feet. "You okay?"

"I'm fine, how's the dog?" Jared tore a wider hole in his already shredded jeans so that Jeff could get a clear look at what was bleeding.

Shaking his head, Jeffrey started to clean the scrapes on Jared's leg. "He's gonna be fine, they think. Karen's giving him an x-ray now - she thinks maybe a couple of broken ribs."

Jared rubbed at his arm and winced when he found another cut. "I didn't see him."

"Yeah, you said that. S'not like anyone thinks that you targeted him, Jared. He's gonna be fine. We'll get on the phone to our volunteers soon as see if we can find someone to take him for a few days. Just in case-"

"Just in case what?" Jared's heart fell to the pit of his stomach. "You mean he might not be okay?"

"Jesus Christ, Jared." Jeffrey poked extra hard at the cut on Jared's knee and when Jared groaned he leaned back to pick up a bandage. " _In_ case we need someone to take care of him _because_ he's got broken ribs. He can't stay here 'cause he might get riled up. We'll just need a foster home to keep him peaceful, hand feed him... stuff like that."

"I'll do it," Jared said quickly.

Looking up with a puzzled expression on his face, Jeffrey held out the bandage.

Jared rolled his eyes, "Not that. _You_ do that. _I'l_ l take him home. I'll look after him." It felt like the least Jared could do.

"I don't think that's a good idea, Jared." Jeffrey's expression softened. "It hasn't been that long since..."

Jared knew exactly what Jeffrey didn't want to say. Jared had lost his own dog, Sacha, to cancer less than a month ago. "I know... he's not her," Jared said quietly. It still hurt a lot to think of Sacha; there were still so many times when Jared walked into his house and expected to hear her; hell, there were times when he was certain he saw her out of the corner of his eye.

"I'd just like to help," Jared said. He rubbed the back of his hand across his damp cheeks and leaned back in the chair.

After a few moments of staring up at his friend, Jeffrey smiled and nodded. "Okay. We'll just get you fixed up first and then - when he's ready, I'll drive you two home."

Jared sniffed, rubbing at the pain in his chest and nodded.

-=-=-=-

The ground beneath Jensen was soft, plush and he shifted slightly, trying to determine what was going on. After a moment it occurred to him this wasn’t ground, it was a bed. A soft whine fell from Jensen as he lifted his head and pain slid through him.

In a flash the memory of the bike, the man, various strangers working on him, flashed through his mind. Jensen had no idea how he’d gotten to the place he was but he couldn’t stay here. People didn’t just welcome strays, who knew what they’d do to him if he stuck around. Even if he’d been wishing for death before, Jensen was over that, being put down was _not_ the way he was going out.

Crawling forward, Jensen whined softly and slipped off the edge of the bed. His paws gave out and his whine was nearly a yelp as he collapsed on the floor.

"Hey..." Jared was jolted awake by the sound. Before he could even see properly he was standing and moving around the bed quickly. "Whatcha doin'?"

He tried to keep his voice soft and approached the dog so that they could see each other. Much as he wanted to take care of the dog, he didn't know much about his disposition. "You gonna let me put you back on the bed?"

Jared held his hand out so the dog could sniff it. "Not gonna hurt you, boy. I just wanna help you get better, okay?"

Jensen’s thought patterns had been changed over the years. If he had to estimate, Jensen would say he’d been a dog nearly ten years. So sniffing along the man’s hand was easy, gathering up his scents, cataloging them. Something earthy, something sweet, the hint of spice that suggested uniqueness.

However pleasant the scent, it didn’t make it any easier to trust him, however. How could Jensen trust anyone? He whimpered and wiggled back, keeping his eyes trained on the tall, well-formed man.

“Hey...I’m not gonna hurt you,” Jared said softly. He noticed that the dog was wearing a plain collar and reached out slowly for it intending to hook his finger through it and stop the dog from hurting himself. As he touched the leather a small tag fell forward. When the dog didn’t pull away Jared leaned down and checked the tag. _Jensen._

“That your name? Jensen?” Jared smiled and dropped the tag then moved his hand slowly until he could scratch the top of the dog’s head. “Jensen?”

It had been so _long_ since someone used his name, Jensen didn’t know how to handle it. For some reason it had him scooting forward. He was in this man’s home, he realized, his bedroom even.

Maybe he’d felt guilty, for accidentally running him down. It was as much Jensen’s fault then this guy’s. Moving a little more forward, Jensen shifted under the warm hand, tilting up into the pleasant touch moving in his fur.

"That's better. Must be your name." Jared smiled and stroked the golden brown fur. It was still a little matted but as soon as the dog was feeling better Jared would give him a nice warm bath.

"So," Jared leaned against the bed. "I'm gonna move you back up onto the bed. I'm gonna try not to hurt you but I want you to be comfortable. Then I'm gonna have to rewrap your bandages. You gonna bite me if I try to do that?" Jared smiled, at himself mostly. It was an odd habit, he knew, but he had always talked to Sacha and it seemed like maybe this _Jensen_ needed a friend too.

Jensen had never harmed anyone, not intentionally, and he certainly wouldn’t start with the man who was trying, for some reason, to help him. There was no easy way to convey this though, because surely shaking his head would freak this guy out. So instead he half stepped forward and sat, laying his paw on the man’s thigh. Being comfortable? Being looked after? Jensen could handle that for a while.

"Okay. Just hang in there, Jensen. Gonna lift you up." Sliding his hands under Jensen as gently as he could Jared lifted the dog into his arms. He winced when Jensen whimpered and shushed him softly. Moving as quickly as he could Jared settled the mound of fur on the bed. "That must be better."

He rubbed at his face and yawned. "I'm gonna nap more, I don't know about you but I'm still sore." Jared lay back down beside his new friend and smiled. He watched as Jensen's nose twitched toward the pillow. "You got a good nose. I put some treats up there. You hungry?"

Jared reached up and picked up a small bag of dog treats and pulled one out. He set it in front of Jensen's nose. "If you want it," he said.

It was out of sheer hunger alone that had Jensen eating the dog treat. Truthfully, it didn’t taste that bad. It also wasn’t really _good_ and definitely couldn’t compare to the roasted chicken he’d almost had that afternoon. But if someone was actually going to have him in their home for a while, he supposed he should get used to dog food.

The man was shifting onto his side, still gently stroking Jensen’s fur and warmth was sliding through him. When was the last time someone had truly cared for him?

Wetting his chops slowly, Jensen inched forward until he could curl his body against the man’s chest. He was a big dog but this man had to be almost six and a half feet tall. His chest was broad and Jensen thought if he wasn’t a dog he might find him gorgeous, but he didn’t think of men that way anymore; there was no reason too.

Blowing out an audible breath, Jensen waited long enough to tell he wasn’t going to be pushed away then laid his head on the man’s arm and gently let his tongue slide out. He licked along the man’s salty skin in hopes of telling him he wasn’t going to be any trouble, and he appreciated the help.

Laughing softly, Jared hooked his arm around the dog’s neck and nestled down in the bed with him. “You’re not so mean, are ya?”

As long as the dog was comfortable Jared would let him lie there and rest. He needed rest and to be kept relatively still for a while. Jared knew that Jeff would come and check on the dog’s progress - probably an excuse to come and see Jared - but that was okay.

“You’re not like my Sacha,” Jared said softly. It was more of a comment on Jeff’s earlier assertion that Jared only felt bad because he’d lost his own dog so recently. “I had a dog - she was a border collie. She got really sick though and - I lost her a little while ago.”

Jared frowned when Jensen lifted his fluffy head and tilted it to the side, as though, somehow he was listening to Jared’s story. It had been difficult to speak of Sacha’s death - maybe because Jared wasn’t certain that anyone truly understood what it had been like for him to lose her. She’d been his best friend. With him through good times and bad - and the thing about dogs - the thing about Sacha - was that she’d loved him unconditionally.

It didn’t matter if Jared was a little bitchy one day, if he forgot her walk till later in the day, if he was depressed - nothing like that mattered. She was there for him. Even when things had become awkward with Jeff. Sacha has sensed it, crawled between them on the couch and refused to be parted from Jared’s side while Jeff was there.

She’d been right about Jeff. It wasn’t that he was a threat in any way, nothing like that, but he certainly had a thing for Jared. About the only place it wasn’t particularly awkward was at work. Jeff was a professional and loved his job and that last thing he would do was make that environment uncomfortable for either of them. Jeff was just convinced that he was the man for Jared. Jared was convinced he wasn’t.

“Jensen?” The dog shifted slightly onto his side and stared up at Jared. “I really miss Sacha. She was my best friend.” Jared fingers combed through Jensen’s fur, tugging at the mattes gently. “I got her when she was a puppy. I always joked that she trained me, ‘cause I’m not sure I ever taught her anything.”

He was quiet for a while, watching the dog’s eyes drift closed even as his long tail thumped weakly on the bed. “You can sleep, you know. I’m gonna. We’ll be okay.”

Jensen wondered what happened to Sacha, how she passed away. It made sense that this man was trying to replace the hole left by her death in some way. He didn’t think he’d do a good job at it but maybe he could pretend for a little while. So he settled down against the man’s body and let himself drift off to sleep.

-=-=-=-

The little brown pellets of dog food in the bowl beneath his nose were quite possibly the most unappealing thing Jensen had ever seen. He huffed out a small breath then looked up, watching the man drop down on a chair at the kitchen table. Jensen could smell his food, chicken, rice, warm and fragrant, and his stomach growled and rolled.

Wetting his chops Jensen padded over to the man and dropped down to sit, lifting his paw and letting it slide across the man’s jeans as he whined. He’d gotten pretty good at using his puppy dog eyes, someone had said before they were the greenest eyes they’d ever seen on a dog, Jensen let them water in hopes of convincing the man to share the chicken.

Jared tried to keep his gaze on his plate. "Aww Jensen, don't do that. People food isn't good for you, man." When the dog whined softly Jared looked down and sighed. Jensen's eyes were wide and sparkling and Jared had _never_ been very good at saying _no_ to an animal. "You're _killin'_ me," he muttered.

Pushing Jensen's paw off gently, he got up and headed back over to the counter. There was still half a chicken left and he pulled the meat off the bone and set it in one of Jensen's bowls. For good measure he added some chopped up vegetables and mixed them in with the meat. "Here you go, don't blame me if you get an upset stomach."

Setting the bowl down beside his chair, Jared tousled the long fur that always seemed to be hanging in Jensen’s eyes. “Gonna give you a bath tonight, that’s your fee for the chicken.” He laughed, certain that Jensen had scowled if that was possible for a dog.

The taste of the chicken, just the slightest spice, was definitely going to be worth a bath. The last time he’d had anything even remotely close to a bath was a year or so ago when he’d splashed through a lake. He had a feeling his new care giver was going to be a lot nicer and sweeter about things.

Apparently he was also a push over, that could come in handy in the future. Jensen tried to eat the chicken slowly, and just so he didn’t upset the man he ate the vegetables too. Even they tasted good, the hint of butter, salt and pepper.

“So I was thinkin’.” Jared chewed thoughtfully for a few moments. “Jeff says I should find someone else to take care of you - but - you know - I put ads up everywhere and it’s been a couple weeks and no one’s come forward.” Jared had taken to talking to Jensen all the time. There was something knowing in the dog’s eyes - and hell, it was better than talking to himself.

“I told you what Jeff thinks. _He_ thinks it’s too soon for me to have another dog. I don’t think so.” Jared shrugged and took another bite of chicken. “Seems like you and I get along pretty well. Apart from the - talking me into giving you chicken thing.” Jared laughed and leaned down to offer Jensen a piece of his own chicken.

As the dog licked at the meat then took it gently in his teeth, Jared smiled. “I wish you could tell me if you wanted to stay here.”

Some part of Jensen had kept expecting to be turned out on the street, especially now that he was mostly healed, but it kept not happening. Jensen wet his lips once more then shuffled forward, laying his head on Jared’s thigh. It was the closest he could get to saying how much he really did like being here.

Sleeping in Jared’s bed, soft fingers moving through his fur, Jensen felt cared for, loved. God it had been so long. And he adored listening to the man talk about anything and everything. So he turned to lick across Jared’s arm, huffing out a content breath.

“You know,” Jared said quietly. “I think I’m gonna take that as a yes. You wanna stay?” Jensen’s tail thumped against the floor and Jared grinned. “I promise to take care of you and give you chicken if you’ll stay.”

Laughing, Jared slipped down off his chair and kneeled down to wrap his arms around the dog’s neck. “I think maybe I need someone to take care of me too - if that’s okay.”

Jensen tilted his head toward Jared, nuzzling into his hair. The man still smelled good, earthy and warm, and Jensen decided he could handle being a dog if it meant belonging to someone as nice as Jared. Well, he could at least get over the idea of being someone’s _pet_. Which he’d loathed for the decade or so he’d been in dog form.

In an attempt to make Jared laugh Jensen jumped forward, pressing both paws into the man’s chest and causing him to fall back on the kitchen floor. He licked all over Jared’s face, bouncing around his body and yapping happily. No harm in playing up the role of playful puppy.

Laughter bubbled up out of Jared and he tried to catch the dog and failed. It had been a while since he'd laughed like that and he figured, maybe, he was meant to find Jensen after all. "Obviously, you're feeling better," Jared teased. Crawling forward he clambered up to his feet and headed for the back door. "Come on, let's go outside and investigate the yard before your bath."

-=-=-=-

When the doorbell went Jensen barked and Jared jumped. It was the most noise he'd really heard the dog make since he'd brought him home. "Jesus you scared the shit outta me," Jared said. Laughing he headed for the front door with Jensen at his heel.

When he pulled the door open he was surprised to see Jeff standing there. "Jeff! Come on in. I didn't know you were coming by."

“Was in the neighborhood, thought I’d stop by and talk to ya.” Jeff reached out his hand to Jensen. “Hey you, you’re looking good, buddy.”

Jensen only had a vague memory of this Jeff guy. He knew he worked with Jared, and the man had talked about him a fair few times, but it had all seemed to be friendly so Jensen wanted to like him. Except for maybe the tiny little part of him that thought of Jared as _his_ and deemed this Jeff man as a potential threat. Which was ridiculous.

Not wanting Jared to think bad of him, Jensen half tilted up into the touch of Jeff’s hand before turning and pacing back, stepping behind Jared’s legs and nuzzling along his calf.

Jeff straightened up and scratched at his beard. “Seems like he’s gettin’ a little attached to you, Jared.”

Jared ran his hand through his hair nervously then dropped it to the top of Jensen’s head. “Yeah, we should probably talk about that. Come on in.” He swung the door wide and let Jeff pass.

“You want a coffee or anything?” Jared headed into the living room and sat down, leaning back against the arm of the couch.

“Nah, just had one.” Jeff settled on the other end of the couch and stared over at his friend. “So - what exactly should we be talkin’ about?”

“Just, Jensen. I wanna keep him.” Jared kind of blurted it out. He knew that was probably what Jeff wanted to speak with him about and he knew that Jeff wanted to move the dog to another foster until they could find a more permanent home for him.

“Aww, Jared we talked about this at work. It’s too soon...” Jeff dragged his hand down his face.

“But I don’t think it is. Jensen is a very different dog than - well, he’s very different. He’s independent and he doesn’t leave or anything if I don’t have a leash on him. We get along good.” Jared realized he wasn’t sounding all that sane and quieted.

Jeff shifted a little closer and slid his hand over the back of Jared’s neck. “Jay, I just don’t want you to get hurt again. What if someone shows up to take him back? He’s a beautiful dog - he’s probably got an owner somewhere.”

Jared’s shoulders tensed as soon as Jeff’s palm hit his skin. It wasn’t that Jeff was an unpleasant man - he just wasn’t interested in him. The longer the constant pressure for more went on, the more uncomfortable Jared was with it.

Sitting on the floor in front of the couch, Jensen looked between Jeff and Jared slowly. Jensen knew that look on Jared’s face, it was the one the man got when the short dark haired girl from down the hall always stopped and touched his arm, trying to get him to go out to dinner or something. Jared didn’t want to be touched the way Jeff was touching him.

Pushing up off the floor Jensen jumped up on the other side of the couch and climbed across Jared’s lap, successfully wiggling his way between the two men and slumping hard against Jared’s body. His eyes slid to Jeff even as he licked Jared’s cheek affectionately.

Relief flooded through Jared and he looped his arm over Jensen's neck. "See? He likes me a lot." Burying his face in Jensen's furry neck, Jared whispered, "thank you."

"Jared? He's a dog. He's probably not allowed on the couch at home," Jeff said gruffly. He shifted back slightly to give the dog more room and sighed. "So you're serious about keeping him?"

Jared smiled and peered over Jensen's head. "Yeah, he's happy here. I love the company and - if someone _does_ come and claim him then I'll work that out." It was kind of hard to imagine giving Jensen up but Jared would certainly hand him over if he had a good family to go to. Jeff was right, someone could be missing him.

"Well, okay," Jeff relented. "I still think it's a bad idea - but you know," he smiled, "you could probably make it up to me."

"By?" Jared's arm tightened over Jensen's neck and he was sure he felt the lowest rumble of a growl.

"Come out with me tonight. There's a meet up down at the pub," Jeff's smile warmed.

"Jeff... we've talked about this-"

"It doesn't have to be a date; it could be just two friends hanging out. You never know, you might like hanging out with me." Jeff leaned forward to peer at Jared around the dog.

Jensen officially decided he was done trying to be nice to this Jeff guy for any reason. If it was clear to him, as a dog who’d only known Jared for a few weeks, that Jared had no interest in Jeff - then the man had to see it. So Jeff was clearly just pushing to try and get his way and Jensen wasn’t going to stand for that.

Pushing to stand, Jensen shifted until he stood over Jared’s lap, pressing into the man’s chest and creating a barrier. He growled low in his throat, his body tensing slightly as he fixed his eyes on Jeff.

"Jensen!" Jared laughed in surprise and circled both arms around the dog's neck. "He's never done that before," he murmured as he looked over at Jeff.

Tilting his head slightly, Jeff drew back further. "Not a good sign in a stray, Jared. You know that."

"He's not a stray," Jared said firmly. "He lives _here_." There was something about Jensen protecting him that made Jared want to be firmer with Jeff. "And I'm not going to go out with you, Jeff. I've been real clear about that. Maybe sometime in the future when your feelings are different we can hang out as friends, but I don't think now is the time for that."

Jeff's eyebrows lifted and he nodded then rubbed his hands on his thighs. "Okay. Got it. Well..."

There was a lot of tension in the room and Jared nuzzled against Jensen's neck again, rubbing at the dog's back to get him to relax. "I'm sorry, Jeff."

"Yeah, well. It happens. Right?" Jeff smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "I should probably get going. You have any trouble with him, you know you can bring him back, right?" Jeff gestured toward Jensen as he stood.

"We'll be fine," Jared said. He patted Jensen's hip to encourage him to move and stood to walk Jeff out.

"I can show myself out," Jeff said quickly. He smiled again and disappeared around the corner. As Jared watched Jeff head down the sidewalk outside he sighed in relief. "Wow," he said softly. He felt Jensen's warm weight against his leg and reached down to run his fingers through the dog's soft brown fur.

Jensen was more than a little relieved that Jeff was gone. He had no interest in the man being anywhere close to _his_ Jared. For a moment Jensen froze as he considered what it meant, to feel this possessive toward Jared.

Maybe this was one of the reasons he’d not allowed himself to be taken in over the years. It was so easy to become friends, to grow attachments, to feel love. But it wouldn’t last. Sure Jared wasn’t interested in Jeff but he would be interested in someone some day; Jared was too amazing not to end up with someone. And there was the pesky fact that most dogs lived seventeen years tops and as far as Jensen knew, he’d live a full life, just as a dog.

At some point Jared would get a little suspicious.

But until that time came, Jensen would cling to Jared, because he could, for now. He nuzzled along the man’s leg and licked his palm, hoping he wasn’t too upset with him for his behavior with Jeff.

“Guess it was kinda obvious that I was in over my head, huh?” Jared caught Jensen’s ear between his fingers and rubbed the soft skin and fur. “Thank you,” he said softly.

-=-=-=-

Just like it had always been for Jensen, keeping track of time was nearly impossible. And when Jared was involved – time flew in a way Jensen couldn’t even bother to keep track of. The last of the summer months slid by in a blur of sunny afternoons, walks by the river, warm nights out on the patio listening to Jared talk about everything he could think of.

Jensen met his family, his friends, and as he healed Jared even began taking him to the shelter. Mostly Jensen trailed after Jared, trying to shake the fear that one of these days Jared would simply not bring him home. But as summer gave way to fall Jensen stopped believing the man would give him up and he learned to roam around the shelter.

Except, of course, when Jeff was around. The man didn’t openly hit on Jared but Jensen saw his longing stares and he never failed to hover protectively at his friend’s side. He didn’t consider Jared his master because that wasn’t how it worked; Jared was his companion in a way. Maybe the best friend Jensen had ever had, no one had ever trusted him so intensely.

Jared spoke sometimes about being lonely and Jensen would always press closer to his side, lick his hand, and try not to wish he was human. The more time that passed the more Jensen realized Jared was the most perfect person he’d ever met. Sure he was a bit of a slob, and he fed Jensen from the table - which didn’t bother Jensen in the slightest but at the shelter would always get the man disapproving looks. Maybe it wasn’t so good Jared spent most of his time confiding in a dog as opposed to a friend or lover but Jensen thought it only made him more sweet and charming.

By the time winter set in Jensen was willing to admit he loved Jared. He’d accepted that the way he felt would always be confined; kept hidden by the curse keeping him in dog form, and some part of him was okay with that. So many years had taught Jensen that maybe he’d never been good as a human, he’d hurt that poor girl so many years ago because he was selfish, so if he never was freed from his curse, he couldn’t help thinking it was a fit punishment.

Then, like it had happened so many times in his life before, one afternoon everything changed.

They were trampling through three day’s worth of snow, a blizzard that had effectively closed down the entire town. The snow had stopped falling though and both Jared and Jensen were more than eager to get out of the house they’d been trapped in for the last few days. Jensen was more than happy to bounce around at Jared’s feet, the snow cold on his paws but not horribly so.

Jared was laughing, a hat pulled down over his head, gloves covering his fingers. Even though Jensen couldn’t see the colors there was a light grey stain on Jared’s cheeks and he knew the cold was making him flush. For some reason it just made Jensen even happier and he bit at the snow, running up ahead of Jared and running back, then turning and taking off again.

There was a stick poking out of a pile of snow and Jensen snapped at it, following Jared along the path down to the frozen river bank. He nearly collided into the man’s legs as he slid on a patch of snow then jumped up, letting Jared see the stick in his mouth. If anyone had told him he’d be playing fetch before he met Jared he would have bitten them, but over the summer the man had gotten him addicted to running after a Frisbee and Jensen figured it was a good way to keep in shape.

The man laughed, his grin large enough to show dimples as he took the stick and chucked it for Jensen. Immediately Jensen tore after it, snatching it up with a mouthful of snow before turning and racing back to Jared. This went on as they continued walking, making their way down the snow covered paths.

Then the call of his name had him skidding to a halt halfway toward the stick Jared had thrown and he looked back, wagging his tail and panting. He could see the stick, thrown out into the middle of the frozen river, and he was itching to go after it but Jared had told him to wait so he did, head tilted curiously at the man.

"I'll get this one; I'm not sure how solid that ice is." Jared stared out at the stick for a few minutes then down at Jensen who was so playful. "You just stay here," He said and held his hand up.

Stepping carefully onto the iced over river, Jared moved forward slowly. There was no creaking or straining of ice so he smiled back at Jensen and headed over to the stick. About twenty feet from shore he leaned down to pick up the stick. "Got it!"

And then there was a resounding crack and the ice fell out from under Jared's feet. As the cold water engulfed him, he sucked in a breath of the river and coughed as he thrashed his way back up to the surface. When his head broke the surface he cried out and his hands scrabbled at the edge of the ice but it just kept falling away under his hands.

Shaking and terrified, Jared could see Jensen coming closer. "Stay back," he sputtered waving frantically at his dog. But as soon as he'd picked up his hand he sank back down under the water and only just managed to grab the edge of the ice and pull himself back up.

The ice was still cracking and Jared was quickly running out of energy. His eyes flitted along the shore but he couldn’t see anyone and his hands were getting so numb.

Panic was welling up in Jensen, so sharp and burning he almost couldn’t breathe. Jared hollered at him to stay in place but Jensen couldn’t listen to the command anymore. He bolted across the ice, slowing only when he got to the cracked area. Jared was thrashing, trying to keep above water and Jensen’s entire chest was pained with a deep ache.

Crouching low, Jensen crawled toward Jared, panic causing low whines to fall from his lips. He shifted forward until his teeth could latch onto the man’s jacket collar, digging in hard and tugging with all his might. Jared was much bigger than him, at least twice his height, but their weights had to be somewhere close to even.

Adrenaline had Jensen pulling with every ounce of strength he had. Jared was coming free of the water, pulling along the ice and Jensen felt the thrill of success. Jared was going to be okay, Jensen would save him, protect like he’d been so willing to the last few months.

Then there was another of those painfully loud cracks of the ice. The ice under Jared’s chest gave out and the man was quickly swept into the water once more. The tide and current under the ice was pulling at Jared, threatening to drag him off and the man seemed to be succumbing to the cold, his body growing heavier, pulling Jensen into the freezing liquid.

All Jensen could do was hold on, keep Jared from being swept off by the rushing water. He didn’t care if he was the one dragged off, if he could just get Jared up onto the ice. The man was far too important not to be alive; Jensen would dive under the water and push Jared to the surface if he could.

Something hard and heavy fell between them and Jensen started, his teeth tightening on Jared’s coat collar. It took him a moment to realize the object was a rope and there was the call of voices near the shore. _Help_. That was the only way Jensen would be able to pull Jared the rest of the way out of the water.

The man still wasn’t responding and Jensen let himself fall more into the water, head bumping up to rub against his jaw. He whined loudly, rubbing against Jared wherever he could, praying it wasn’t too late. Jared had to be okay, Jensen couldn’t live without him, not now.

Jared felt like he was caught between awake and asleep but then he heard his dog, the persistent whine and half-bark that Jensen would use to wake him. The rushing of the water returned and Jared took in a deep breath and cold air. Jensen was nudging at him, half submerged and still tugging on Jared's coat.

Squinting, he could just make out some people gathered on the shore and then, a rope. Looping the rope over his head was no easy task. His limbs felt like they were made of lead and his hands were numb. He managed to get the loop under one arm and over his head and felt it start to tug. His other arm looped under Jensen's body and held on as tight as he could.

At first, the ice kept giving way and then Jared managed to push Jensen up onto the ice. The dog darted back immediately and began tugging almost desperately at Jared's collar. And then, it was like he just shot free of the water. The force of the pull on the rope and Jensen's tugging had Jared sliding along the ice several feet.

Panting, he lay there and was only half aware of the people around him. What he did notice was Jensen lying close to him, nuzzling at his neck and cheek. He wouldn't let go of Jensen, not while the good Samaritans helped carry him to shore, nor while they wrapped him in blankets. When the ambulance arrived, Jared refused help weakly until the paramedics agreed _against policy_ to take Jensen with them. He smiled shakily at the small crowd that had helped them as they told the paramedics how Jensen had been the one who held onto Jared until they could get help.

Things were even more of a blur after that. Emergency room, his friend Chad arriving and telling him that he was okay - that _Jensen_ was okay. It took Chad a while to get Jensen out of the examination room. He'd growled and snapped his way into staying but when Jared told him it was okay - that _Chad_ was okay he'd left almost looking reluctant.

Jared slept. Or passed out. He wasn't sure which.

He awoke some time later to Chad telling him that he could go home, his body temperature was okay and that Jensen was waiting in his truck. Mostly, he was exhausted, although when he finally passed a mirror he noticed cuts and scrapes over his forehead. Nothing compared to how bad it could have been.

Chad pushed him out in a wheelchair, more _policy_ and before he was at the end of the sidewalk Jared could see Jensen in Chad's truck. The dog had his front paws on the window and was wagging his tail. Jared had pretty much _never_ been happier to see anyone in his life.

As soon as Chad pulled the door open, Jensen flung himself from the truck and practically jumped on Jared's lap. The events of day began to catch up with Jared and he felt hot tears burning down his cheeks as he buried his face in the dog’s fur. A dog. It had been a dog that had loved him enough to risk his own life to save him.

Jared just did as Chad told him. He climbed into the truck and Jensen rested against his side as Chad drove them home. Chad spoke to him about people telling the hospital staff what Jensen had done, what a brave dog he was, but Jared was only half listening. He rested his head on Jensen's back and just held on to him quite determined that he'd had enough of winter for a very long time.

It didn't take Chad long to get Jared settled in bed and even though he tried to get Jensen to come out of the bedroom the dog was persistent and leaped up onto the bed, nosed his way under the covers and curled up against Jared. Not that Jared minded. The dog was warm and soft and Jared had never felt safer.

He was barely awake when Chad left his cell phone by the bed and said he'd be back in a few hours to check on him. As soon as the door closed, Jared whispered, "thank you, Jensen." And drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

The events of the afternoon and the hospital that followed had drained Jensen. So the minute he was sure Jared was safe and asleep, he was drifting off as well. Jensen had been so _scared_ , of losing Jared, of not having the man anymore, that it wasn’t much of a surprise when his dream quickly turned into a nightmare.

When Jensen dreamed it was in color, bright flashes, Jared’s panicked splashing, the sickening fear. But this time there was no rope and the dream of ice and Jared faded, giving way to an empty field and Jensen. Not the dog version of himself but a man, older, wiser. There was a woman approaching him and Jensen had no doubt who she was.

“You were willing to give your life for that man,” the woman murmured, her gypsy purple clothes billowing in the breeze.

Jensen dipped his head and thought of Jared’s laugh, his warmth, the way he cared so much. “In a heartbeat,” he whispered, hand itching along unfamiliar skin.

“This is selfless love, in its truest forms,” she breathed and grinned, stepping forward to touch his temple. “You have proved your truth worth Jensen Ackles, and I will free you of your burden.”

Jensen blinked in confusion, certain this was a dream and he’d wake up to find himself as canine as ever.

Only, as his eyes fluttered open, he was looking at honey brown hair, softly tanned skin flushed with light pink from sleep, and warm arms were curled over his bare body. Jensen was human.

 _Holy shit._


	2. Chapter 2

Jensen could recall the moment he turned into a dog still clearly, even ten years later. He remembered how everything had smelled and sounded so much louder, while the world seemed flatter and colorless. Now, waking up as a human, the colors were almost blinding in their intensity. Even if it was only early morning and the dull sunlight of winter was barely breaking through the blinds.

The logical thing to do was to flee. Jared would wake up soon and instead of his loyal, faithful, lifesaving dog he’d have a naked man wearing a collar with a crazy story about gypsies. Jensen thought his best case scenario was ending up in a nuthouse, if Jared didn’t kill him first.

But, even knowing all this, Jensen couldn’t seem to tear his gaze away. He’d known the man had a great smile, that had been obvious, but he was unprepared for how utterly _gorgeous_ Jared was. It was breath taking really and Jensen felt the love he already had for Jared morph and grow to thick, burning, _want_.

Jensen was fucked. He needed to get the hell out of there.

Before he could so much as move the arm around him tightened. He watched Jared’s face as the man realized the body he was touching was no longer covered by fur. Jensen’s breath hitched as Jared’s eyes blinked open and he was exposed to the warm hazel. He’d always wondered what color the man’s eyes were, they were beautiful, nearly two shades of green and blue.

“Jared,” Jensen whispered, unable to help himself, only slightly surprised by how much deeper his voice was then that of his teenager years when he’d last spoken. _God_ Jensen had never wanted to kiss someone so badly.

Jared's body was in motion before his mind had even kicked into gear. Scrambling backwards, Jared shoved at the stranger in front of him and fell onto the floor in a tangle of sheet and quilt. Thrashing his arms wilding he tried to get untangled as he kicked his feet on the floor to get further away. "What the fuck!?"

His eyes cast around the room - there was nothing for him to use as a weapon. He could see Chad's phone on the opposite side of the bed. His dog...where was Jensen. "Jensen!"

“Jared, I am Jensen.” So many years he hadn’t even dared to hope he’d become human again and here he was. He’d shown selfless love, he’d nearly sacrificed his life for Jared - he would have, in a heartbeat.

Of course, now the man looked terrified and Jensen pulled the edge of the sheet up over his bare body and shifted slightly, frowning at Jared. “Are you hurt? You shouldn’t move too much, your body is still weak.”

"Weak?" Jared's voice was thin. "Where's my dog?" Jared's eyes darted around and he finally managed to get his arms out and pull the sheet tightly around his body. His eyes found the collar around the man's neck and his blood ran cold. "What have you _done_ to my dog?"

Hands shaking, Jared stumbled to his feet and pressed back against the wall. He began moving slowly, inching his way toward the bedroom door. “Look, you need to just... just go. I won’t call the cops of anything. Just get the hell out.”

“Wait, wait Jared. It’s me. I, I- okay this is going to sound even more insane.” Jensen’s throat was already starting to feel a little sore from over use but he had to try and get Jared to listen to him. He couldn’t even fathom the idea of not having the man.

Not _now_ , when he could actually have him, touch him, kiss him, _love_ him. “It really is me, I swear. You’re twenty three years old, you work at the animal shelter where Jeff is your boss and he’s also kind of in love with you but you’re not interested in him because you’re looking for a deeper connection. Your best friend is Chad and he drives you crazy but you love him anyway. You love horror movies but you have to sleep with the light on after them. And, you nearly killed me with your bike and felt so guilty you took me in even though you were grieving the loss of your dog Sacha still but I think I helped.”

Jensen stared with pleading eyes up at Jared, unsure if this was helping convincing him. “I saved your life yesterday, kept you from drowning in the river.”

Jared's eyes widened slowly and his arms slid across his chest. A tremble started low in his body and he shifted closer to the door.

"Was my dog," Jared whispered. Shaking his head, he cast his gaze around again searching desperately for the golden brown fur he was so used to seeing every day. "I- I don't understand. You-" How could the man know so many things about him? How could he know the things that Jared had never told another human being?

Sliding closer to the door Jared held up a shaking hand. "I need to ... I have to call my friend. You..."

“You know it’s me,” Jensen whispered, not moving closer to Jared though instinct told him too. He wanted to crawl across the bed and slid into Jared’s arms; hold him tight like he couldn’t as a dog. “When I was seventeen I was stupid, I was, struggling with my sexuality. I got drunk and slept with a girl, then I- I broke her heart. I don’t know how the woman who-”

Jensen blew out a shaky breath and moved forward, stopping when the sheet slid off his bare body. It had been a long time since he had to worry about modesty. Quickly, he covered himself once more and inhaled just as shakily. “She cursed me, like some type of gypsy. I know it sounds crazy, _trust me_ I know. She cursed me to spend like as a dog until I experienced truly selfless love. I’ve spent ten years as a dog, Jared, until... until you. I know, crazy, call Chad if you want, I’ll leave if you want, but just stop to think a moment.”

Jared stared at the stranger in front of him. There was something vaguely familiar about the man's eyes - they were the same deep green as _Jensen's_. And the collar. Tilting his head to the side, Jared took a deep breath and watched the man out of the corner of his eye. "What's his - your favorite food?"

“Chicken.” Jensen smiled down at his lap, picking at the edge of the blanket. “Though you do grill a mean steak. And I always really loved when you let me lick from your ice cream bowl when you were done. Especially when you ate cookies and cream.” Jensen wet his lips. Speaking of food, _god_ he was hungry. “You have a little sister named Megan who still likes getting piggy back rides and an older brother named Jeff who likes to trap you in head locks even though you hate it.”

There were countless facts Jensen could list about Jared if it helped proved who he was. Jensen had never known a person better.

Leaning back against the wall, Jared slid down slowly until he sat down hard on the floor. "I don't understand," he said softly. "You can't know any of that. I mean, I only told ... this is crazy." But he didn't move. There was a sweet innocence in the man's face, something vaguely familiar like Jared must have seen the man before somewhere. "I don't know what to do."

“Believe me,” Jensen whispered earnestly, his eyes pleading. “I- Jared, ask me anything. All those things you told me, I remember them all. I know how much you long for love, for a companion. I know how you feel no one understands you. And I also know how brilliant you are, how sweet and caring. I know how you’d drive into a ditch just to miss a squirrel in the road, and how you took me in when you had no reason to. I- I’m not asking for anything but your belief, then, then I’ll do whatever you want.”

Jared lifted his gaze slowly. "What... did you do the last time Jeff was here?"

Once more Jensen’s lips twitched in a smile and he looked down, rolling his shoulder back. “Got possessive? I growled at him and stood over you, keeping him from touching you.”

Blinking slowly, Jared rubbed his hands over his face then dropped them to his knees. The man's words - _Jensen's words_ \- were starting to sink into Jared's mind. Seventeen. "You're ... wait - you're seventeen?" Jared leaned forward, the phone forgotten for the moment as he watched the way the man moved.

He was lovely to look at. If Jared hadn't been quite as terrified as he was he might have noticed it sooner. Jensen’s hair was shaggy and long, not dissimilar in color to the _dog_ that had been in the room last night. His eyes were a shockingly bright green color, deep and caring somehow. Thin and muscular, the pale skin on Jensen's chest was broken only by freckles scattered across his flesh.

For the first time since he was a teenager Jensen laughed, soft and small, as if he were worried Jared was going to lose it on him, kick his ass and send him out into the street naked. Like Jared would do that, he was the most caring person in the world, even if Jensen was freaking the shit out of him. “No. I was seventeen when I was turned, ten years ago. So I guess I’m twenty seven now.”

Suddenly Jensen thought of his family, his friends, the people he’d unintentionally left behind. What did they think happened to him? Had he been given up for dead? Going back now would be impossible; he’d probably kill everyone from shock. And how would he explain? They’d throw him in a nuthouse for sure. If Jared told him to go, Jensen would be homeless, without any ID or talent, not even a high school diploma. “Shit,” Jensen whispered, his eyes widening as he curled in on himself. “Ten years.”

Jared watched as the man's skin paled slightly. His eyes trailed down to the collar that was still wrapped around Jensen's neck. "Maybe you should take that-"

Biting down on his bottom lip, Jared stood, clutching the sheet at his waist as he headed over to the bed. He sat down a fair distance from Jensen and gestured at the collar. "Want me to take that off?"

Truthfully Jensen had forgotten about the collar and he blinked up at Jared for a moment before slowly nodding. Jared taking it off would be Jared closer, and Jensen was definitely up for that. He _missed_ the closeness; he hated how Jared was looking at him like he’d just grown a second head, or turned into a human when he’d been Jared’s loyal friend and companion - as a _dog_ \- for months now.

There was a slight smile on Jared’s face as he took in the haunted expression on Jensen's face. "It's okay, I mean, somehow - it'll be okay." It was about all Jared could offer. The entire situation was completely nuts. He wasn't sure why he even believed the man he was sitting beside - except that there was no other explanation for Jensen knowing the things he knew. _Jensen_. And his dog was gone.

Reaching out slowly, Jared turned the familiar leather of the collar. When his long fingers reached the buckle, he undid it gently and pulled it away. There was a red mark on Jensen's neck; obviously, the collar wasn't meant to be worn by a human. "You okay?"

“Probably not.” Jensen smiled weakly at Jared and half shrugged. Things kept catching up to him and Jensen had another moment of revelation as he stared at the man. _Fuck_ he must seem like creepiest person the planet. “Jared, I’m sorry. I know it’s... god, I shared your bed, and listened to you and, finding out I’m actually human, I can’t imagine how disturbing that must be to you.”

Wetting his lips slowly, Jensen shifted in place and closed his eyes, fingers lifting to rub along his neck. “Just proves how amazing you are, that you haven’t kicked me out on my ass yet. Most people would.”

"You saved my life too," Jared said softly. He couldn't even imagine what would have happened to him if his dog - this man - _Jesus_ \- hadn't been as determined as he was to pull him out of the water. "All I can remember really is how you wouldn't let go. And, you didn't listen to me."

He reached across in front of Jensen and picked up some moisturizer from the night stand. “Can I?” He gestured toward the man’s neck. The skin was raw and angry.

“Please,” Jensen murmured and nodded, shifting a little closer, careful to keep the sheet on his lap. “I could never have let you die Jared. I... I love you,” he whispered the words, keeping his gaze fixed down on the sheet. “Please don’t, argue it or anything, just, you don’t have to say- sorry, I guess I probably shouldn’t have said that.”

Jared's thoughts started whirling again. _Love_. "Oh, Jensen," he said softly. When he had some lotion on his fingers he smoothed it over the mark on Jensen's neck. The man's skin was soft, smooth under Jared's fingertips. "If this is all true - I mean - okay, it's probably true. It has to be true. There's a whole lot of world you haven't seen. Things must have changed a lot."

“I’ve seen plenty. Before you ran me over with your bike...” Jensen paused, looking up to smile at Jared to soften the words. His hands felt so good on Jensen’s skin, he could barely stand it. “I lived on the streets all those years. I had a human mind, I could watch TVs, read even. I just couldn’t talk. If you’re- if you don’t feel- okay, listen, what I feel doesn’t really matter. It’s hardly important. What would be best, for you? Should I, leave?”

God, Jensen was all over the place, Jared really was going to think he was insane.

Frowning, Jared moved his hand to the other side of Jensen's neck. "I think maybe you and I should both take some time to breathe before anyone does anything. How about that?" When he was satisfied with the way Jensen's neck looked he rubbed the rest of the lotion into his hands and smiled. "This... I mean, it must feel like this is your home."

“It does.” Jensen nodded. He couldn’t imagine leaving Jared’s side, he still wanted to trail after him, nuzzle up against his side, and lick his hand in appreciation. Even now he wished he had a tail to wag to show Jared how pleased he was by the touch. “Jared? May I ask you something?”

"Of course." Jared nodded, rubbing his hand across his chest nervously. He had to look away from Jensen; he was finding it hard not to stare.

“Can we eat some breakfast?” Jensen half smiled when Jared’s eyes once more slid up to him. “And um, could I borrow some clothes?” He figured it was probably better to stop over loading Jared’s mind.

“God, yes, I’m sorry.” Jared pushed up quickly and headed over to the closet. He pulled the door open and snatched up a pair of jeans and a t-shirt for himself. “Go ahead. Choose whatever you like. I’ll just - I’ll go downstairs and start something for us.” Smiling slightly, he realized he was still holding the sheet around him. It felt really stupid - it wasn’t like Jensen hadn’t seen him naked before.

Turning to face the closet he dropped the sheet and stepped into his jeans quickly then tugged the t-shirt on. “Okay,” he said as he turned back to Jensen. “I guess, I’ll go then.”

“Just to the kitchen?” Jensen shifted to the edge of the bed, dropping his feet down. His heart was already picking up speed, his palms dampening. It took Jensen a moment to realize what the feeling meant. He was _scared_. He didn’t want Jared to leave his sight. “You’re just going to the kitchen, I mean?”

Smiling warmly, Jared nodded. "Yeah, 'course. I'm just gonna go down to the kitchen and start cooking. Eggs and bacon sound good? Orange juice? I know you like bacon..."

“Yeah, bacon.” Jensen quickly dipped his head in a nod. As Jared took a step to the door Jensen pushed up to his feet, forgetting the blanket, he was far too focused on the idea of Jared leaving. “You’re not going outside or anything right?” This was kind of ridiculous he knew but it was like some ingrained part in him.

Tilting his head slightly, Jared's smile faltered. He took a step closer and held out his hand. "What's wrong, Jensen?" The man had gone quite pale, his hands trembling at his sides.

“I just, want to make sure...” Jensen wet his lips and glanced down, taking his hand before he could think about it. It was easier then, not to hesitate. He stepped forward and slid his arms around Jared’s broad chest, laying his head on the man’s shoulder. “I’m used to following you; don’t like the idea of you going off on your own.”

Having his arms full of naked man wasn't quite what Jared had planned when he'd held out his hand. It took a few long moments before Jared settled his hands on Jensen's back and pressed him closer. "It'll just take some time to adjust," he said softly. He closed his eyes and rested his cheek against Jensen's hair.

Jensen's body was as firm as it looked, his skin warm and Jared suddenly felt a little uncomfortable. He'd never been so drawn to someone and so confused by it all at the same time. "Let's get you some clothes. How 'bout I help pick them out?"

“Yes, I’d like that.” Jensen nodded and reluctantly let his arms drop as he stepped back. His body had responded to being against Jared’s, of course, because he hadn’t felt a man like that in the last ten years - or well, ever in his life really. He turned slightly away from Jared, hoping the man wouldn’t notice the swell of his cock.

Jared turned quickly and reached into the closet to pull out one of his favorite sweat shirts. It was old and worn but very soft. He turned back to Jensen and held it out. "Here, it's my favorite."

Jensen’s cheeks were flushed, and it only took Jared a few moments to put together what was going on. As soon as Jensen took the sweatshirt Jared turned away quickly and tried to find a pair of sweats that might fit the man. “These might fit you,” he muttered.

He clutched a pair of sweats in his hands and turned back slowly to hand them to Jensen.

“Thanks,” Jensen mumbled and grabbed the sweatpants, quickly stepping into them. The clothes hung on him, making Jensen feel smaller, and he rubbed at his flamed cheeks. This was just damn embarrassing. This whole thing kind of sucked, Jensen didn’t know what to do with himself, especially when so much of him just wanted to crawl into Jared’s arms. “I um, appreciate it.”

Jared sighed and stepped closer so he could pull Jensen into his arms again. “It’s going to be okay. I promise.”

Once more sinking into Jared, Jensen closed his eyes, head settling on the man’s shoulder. “I believe you.” Jensen did, because Jared had always been honest with him, and Jensen trusted him. “I’m sorry, Jared, this must... do you miss, me? Or, the dog me I guess.”

“Well, you’re right here,” Jared said quietly. He turned slightly, his nose trailing through Jensen’s hair. He couldn’t imagine how frightened Jensen must be.

A soft shudder of pleasure slid through Jensen and he slowly moved his hands along Jared’s sides, shifting gradually until his fingers were slipping through the man’s warm hair. He’d never felt something so soft, and Jared’s words made him feel so pleasant it was unreal. “Maybe, you can still confide in me? I would still like to be your friend. I would like to be your everything.”

Jared smiled and couldn't help a slight shiver at Jensen's touch. "One thing at a time. How about we start with breakfast? You think that's okay?"

“Right, of course.” Jensen nodded and pulled back. He couldn’t help clinging to things, especially Jared, since he had no idea how long things would last. And well, part of him felt like he would turn into a dog at any minute. “Breakfast would be good.”

“Okay.” Jared took a step back. “Breakfast.”

-=-=-=-

Breakfast, and the following week, was about the most awkward experience of Jensen’s life. In most ways. They danced around each other, almost skittering away when their bodies brushed in passing. Jared wasn’t used to having another man in the house, he was used to a dog under foot, and the difference was probably affecting the man more than Jared tried to let on.

Jensen missed some things, like Jared talking. The man tried, he asked questions about Jensen’s life before, but he wasn’t near as open as he once had been. Jensen told himself it was just Jared needing time, adjusting to the idea of him being human, but sometimes Jensen wanted to beg for Jared to speak freely once more. They watched TV, a movie, ate meals, but stayed indoors because neither wanted to brave the winter weather.

That first night Jensen had laid in the guest bed and stared at the ceiling, his entire body aching. He missed Jared, missed the warmth, and no shifting from side to side would allow him sleep. Finally he got up and moved to Jared’s closed bedroom door, hesitating there then slowly sitting. He leaned against the door and fell into a fitful sleep.

In the morning he fell over when Jared opened his door, clambering quickly to his feet and flushing as he dipped his head down. Jared didn’t make a big production of it, thankfully, but that night he offered Jensen a place in his bed.

It was kind of the highlight for Jensen. Because he could wait until Jared fell asleep then scoot across the mattress and curl against him. The man would never make a fuss about the cuddling, he’d never say anything about it really, and Jensen wasn’t sure how to take that but it didn’t seem bad.

After a couple of days they finally braved the cold - staying far from the river - and headed to the mall. Jensen felt guilty when Jared bought him several pairs of jeans and t-shirts, boxers, socks, shoes, but the man pointed out that Jensen couldn’t keep wearing clothes that were too big for him. Jensen vowed silently to pay him back somehow.

They didn’t really discuss what Jensen was going to do, or what Jared wanted to do with him. In fact, they mostly stuck to superficial topics, like good movies and music and Jared filled in the pieces of history Jensen hadn’t learned in the last ten years. It wasn’t the closeness they had before, and Jensen thought it was kind of weird to miss being a dog. At least then Jared didn’t look at him in that way he sometimes did when he thought Jensen wouldn’t notice, like he still couldn’t believe in this fucking insane thing that happened.

There was a knock on the door roughly a week after Jensen had turned human. Jared was doing the dishes - Jensen kept trying to help but he still occasionally failed at human things and after two broken plates Jared took over and told him to just find a movie to watch. Jared called for Jensen to answer and he rubbed his palms on his thighs as he headed toward the front door.

He hadn’t really spoken to anyone other than Jared since he turned back. No one would know of course, his neck was completely healed from the collar, but Jensen was self-conscious. He was wearing Jared’s favorite Gumby t-shirt - and still feeling quite pleased that Jared hadn’t protested the fact - and he forced himself to smile as he opened the door, just to be polite.

Jeff was on the other side, which instantly had Jensen’s shoulders tensing. “Jeff,” he said before he could stop himself, eyes widening slightly. “I mean, hello.”

Jeff cocked his head to the side and smiled. “Do I know you?”

As soon as Jared heard the gruff voice of his friend and co-worker he realized his mistake. Hurrying out of the kitchen, Jared skidded to a halt behind Jensen and grinned at Jeff. “Jeff! Hi, we didn’t - I didn’t know you were coming over.”

Frowning, Jeff smirked and his gaze dropped to the t-shirt Jensen was wearing. “Clearly. Can I come in or do you want me to stand out here?”

“Of course,” Jared looped his arm through Jensen’s and pulled him back out of the way slightly as Jeff walked past them into the living room.

“Just let me talk,” he whispered.

Jensen couldn’t even force a smile and he nodded, looking up at Jared then over at Jeff. He didn’t want the man in their house - _Jared’s_ house. “Just gonna get a sweatshirt,” he muttered and stepped away, crossing through the living room to snag Jared’s sweatshirt from the back of the couch.

“So, what’s up?” Jared followed Jensen and sat down on the couch leaving no option but for Jensen to sit down beside him. “Have a seat, Jeff.”

Jeff looked at the chair across the room then back at the couch where Jared was seated so close to Jensen. “Just a visit. Obviously things have been going well here. I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced.” Jeff smiled pointedly at Jensen.

“Oh, God, yeah.” Jared swallowed and looked over at Jensen. He moved quickly, sliding his arm behind Jensen and pulling him closer. “This is Jens - Jen. Jens. He’s my boyfriend. We’re boyfriends.” He felt heat creeping up his cheeks and smiled down at Jensen.

“You’re- wow. Uh, nice to meet you Jens. I’ve never seen you around. Have you two been together... long?” Jeff looked about as skeptical as Jared had expected but it was the first thing that popped into his mind.

The pleasure of Jared calling him his _boyfriend_ was enough to bring a genuine smile to Jensen’s lips. Not that he took pleasure in seeing Jeff look crestfallen, he just, didn’t want the man anywhere near Jared. “Nice to meet you too Jeff. Sorry about before, I knew you because uh, Jared has a picture on his phone, from the shelter. He likes to talk about you guys a lot. He loves that place. Anyway, we’ve been seeing each other, not too long, I mean, officially. We were, friends, before.”

Glancing toward Jared, Jensen smiled fondly at him like he’d been wanting to do all week and let his hand slide over the man’s thigh, his body settling into his side. If this was going to be his one chance to enjoy it, he was taking it for all it was worth.

It didn't feel as strange as Jared expected to be so close to Jensen. Allowing himself to relax a little he settled back on the couch and slid his fingers over Jensen's. "We're just still at that stage where we spend most of our time alone. You know what that's like, Jeff."

Jeff nodded, shrugged a shoulder and sat back a little in his chair. "Well, you two seem... happy."

There was a note of bitterness in Jeff's voice that Jared didn't like and he curled his arm a little tighter around Jensen's shoulder. "I'm happy," he said softly. "I like to think Jensen is."

Jensen’s eyes widened at the name - of Jared’s _dog_ in Jeff’s eyes - and cleared his throat. “Of course, there’s lots of happiness. I mean, Jared’s probably the sweetest, funniest, most caring person that I know. I’m sure, Jeff, that you see that though, he’s so good with animals after all, which I’m sure is why Jensen is happy.” He was hoping he could cover for the slip because explaining it? No, there was no logical way to make that happen.

It was a little cruel to use Jeff’s obvious bitterness to further distract him from the name slip but Jensen didn’t want Jared to be put in an even more awkward place because of him. So he turned and laid his fingers on Jared’s cheek, leaning in to place a small, chaste kiss on his lips. Happy couples did it in movies; Jensen figured he could get away with that logic. And if he was already reeling from one brief touch of warm, silky lips? Well he’d keep it to himself.

Jared’s eyes stayed closed for a few seconds too long after Jensen’s lips were gone. He felt his body relax slightly, heat flowing through him and his fingers tightened on Jensen’s.

Jeff cleared his throat. “Well, I should - uh - I think probably be going.” He stood and was halfway toward the door before Jared managed to get to his feet. He stared down at Jensen for a moment then gestured for him to stay while he followed Jeff.

“Jeff? I’m sorry it’s just...still new.” Jared smiled at his friend as they reached the door.

Jeff nodded, a pained expression on his face. “Yeah, it was just. It was a little too real - too much reality for me. You know?” He dragged his thumb along his bottom lip and smiled. “I wish you the best - you look - you really look like you’re in love.”

Jeff reached out and squeezed Jared’s shoulder. “See you at work,” he said gruffly.

He was gone and Jared was still standing there reeling. It was the kiss, the feeling of it, the words... Jeff’s face. Taking a deep breath Jared headed into the living room. “That was... well...”

“Sorry, I wasn’t really intending to hurt him,” Jensen murmured. There was no way he was apologizing for the kiss, he’d wanted it for so long, and the fleeting memory of Jared’s lips on his own was going to last him a life time. “Will he be okay?”

"He'll be fine. I think it just - sunk in, you know? He just finally realized it's not going to be him." Jared shook his head slightly and pressed his lips together as he wandered slowly back into the living room. After a deep breath he sank back down onto the couch beside Jensen and slid his hand over the man’s knee.

Glancing sidelong at Jensen, Jared smiled. "That kiss...was..."

“Too brief?” Jensen asked, trying to hold back the hopefully note of his words. Jared’s hand was seeping warmth through his jeans and Jensen bit his lower lip, smiling around the hold. “I, got possessive again. Like growling, only nicer.”

Jared nodded slightly and his smile broadened. "You did. Like growling..." He stared down at his hand, fingers curling a little tighter on Jensen's thigh.

“I can’t help it. It’s so clear he wants you and I think it’s rude he won’t back off. How many times have you told him no? Even before you met me.” Jensen shook his head but he couldn’t help smiling, Jared’s grin was a little infectious.

"Are you a little jealous?" Jared shifted a little sideways and leaned back so he could study Jensen's face.

“Oh, I um.” Jensen dropped his gaze and rubbed along his neck, shifting uncertainly on the couch. He wasn’t very sure it was his place to be jealous. After all, it wasn’t like Jared belonged to him, not like Jensen belonged to Jared. “Maybe, a little,” he whispered, not willing to lie to Jared no matter how uncomfortable he felt admitting to it.

“Just a little, huh?” Jared drew his hand back and picked up Jensen’s hand in his. He watched as their fingers twined together. “Listen, Jensen. You and I should probably talk.” _About the kiss, about the way it made Jared feel._

Swallowing thickly, Jensen slowly dipped his head in a nod. He didn’t like the way _talking_ sounded, it always seemed to come with bad omens. “Is this the part where you say something like I’m flattered you’re in love with me but...” Jensen kept his eyes down to hide the hurt and fear lingering there.

Jared's brow furrowed and he squeezed Jensen's hand. "Actually, this is the part where I tell you how confused I am. I'm worried, I - I worry about taking advantage of this ... us... you."

“Taking advantage?” Jensen frowned, lips pursing as he dragged his gaze up. “Jared, I’m not a child. Hell, I’m older than you. I... do you want to know the honest truth? What I want, how I think and feel about these things?”

Jared's eyes widened slightly and he nodded but he dropped his gaze back to their hands. "Yeah, I mean. You gotta decide what to do right?"

Jared's heart sped up a little, nervous and fluttering in his chest. "You happy here?"

“Well, it’s been a little awkward.” Jensen laughed softly and shook his head. “But, yes. I’m happy here. And what I want is to be with you. I want to be your real boyfriend, or lover, whatever you want to call me. I want to write, children’s books actually. That’s something I could try and do without an ID. But first I want to get my GED and, somehow get a job, so I can support us.”

Inhaling shakily, Jensen turned fully to face Jared and squeezed his hand. “What it boils down to is, I want to be _with_ you. I never want to leave this place. I understand if you need time, I’ll even try and stay in the guest room, I’ll wait for you. But I’ll always be in love with you, there’s nothing changing that now.”

“What about all the time that you didn’t get... to live? Don’t you want to go out and travel? Go and look for family? Friends?” Jared couldn’t imagine where Jensen would even begin to reclaim his life but he certainly didn’t want to stand in the way of it.

Sighing softly, Jensen pulled his hand back and slowly shook his head. He knew it was different between them, he’d had months to fall for Jared, but it was likely the man still half saw him as a dog most of the time. That had to be weird, so Jensen couldn’t really expect to hear any confessions of love from him.

“I considered going to find my family,” Jensen murmured, twisting his fingers together. “But the truth is, they likely buried me a decade ago. I’d kill them all by going back. And how would I explain it? If I told them the truth they’d lock me up. Jared, you’re kind of, if this is all a fairy tale then you’re kind of like my Prince Charming. You woke me from my curse. I’d like to travel but not without you. Frankly, I don’t want to go anywhere without you. I still have issues when you leave the room.”

"But isn't that, like, leftover from ... before?" Jared kind of knew what Jensen was talking about. His felt more calm when he was at home with Jensen and he'd slept like a baby knowing that the man was near him. "What if one day you change your mind? Look at Jeff... I mean, I knew he wasn't the one for me. It was so easy to tell - it just wasn't in my heart, you know? What if you meet someone that makes you feel that they are the one?"

“You make me feel like you are the one,” Jensen whispered, his eyes pricking with tears. It seemed less and less likely that things were going to turn out well and Jensen was starting to feel a little sick. He shifted to pull his legs up to his chest and wrap his arms around them. He always felt too big now, missing his dog form where he could curl up on himself. “Why can’t I be in love with you?”

Jensen’s words hurt a little and Jared shifted back. “I didn’t say you couldn’t...be...” Jared drew in a deep breath then pressed his fingers against his eyes. “I feel things for you, Jensen and it confuses the hell out of me. It’s like there’s this connection and - I mean, God, I don’t even know what to do about it. What if you’re just not here again some morning? Could that happen? What if you …” There were entirely too many _what ifs_ and it made Jared’s stomach twist into knots when he thought about it.

“There’s no reason the curse should happen again. The gypsy lady, she came to me in my dream, she said I had learned my lesson, that I had truly showed selfless love. The only way I wouldn’t be here is if, for some reason you told me to go.” Jensen bit his lip and looked toward Jared. “Would, would that be easier for you? Less confusing? If I went away?”

That question Jared could answer easily. “No, it would break my heart.” Jared rubbed his hands nervously on his jeans and shifted toward the edge of the couch. “Would you? Do it again...”

Brows drawing together in confusion, Jensen slowly dropped his legs and looked toward Jared uncertainly. “Do what again?”

"The kiss, or was that just..." Jared turned slowly, peering at Jensen through the hair that had fallen down over his eyes.

“Oh.” Jensen wet his lips just thinking about kissing Jared once more. “Yes, I would. I’d do that and a whole lot more.” Jensen’s lips twitched in a slight smile and he shifted toward the edge of the couch. “Would you?”

Jared's answer was the way he turned so quickly and slid his fingers into Jensen's mess of hair. Gripping tightly he slanted his mouth over Jensen's and pressed a hard kiss there. It was all warmth and sensation and Jared's heart fluttered about in his chest like a moth.

Jensen gasped in surprise, the parting of his lips only providing Jared more access to touch. A moan shook through Jensen and he pressed hard forward, tongue sliding out to move hard against Jared’s. His hands tangled up into the man’s hair, down his chest, body inching forward until he was sliding onto Jared’s lap. He couldn’t help it, he’d been _dreaming_ about this and Jared was as addicting as he knew he would be.

Moaning softly, Jared slid his arms around Jensen's waist and pulled him closer. When he finally pulled back from the wet heat of the kiss he was panting softly. He licked his lips and tried to focus on Jensen's face. "You know," he said softly. "I knew that you sneaked closer in bed at night. When I woke up, I'd slide my hand over your chest to make sure you were real."

“I like to feel the heat of your body.” Jensen dipped in once more to move his lips along Jared’s jaw. The skin was so warm and soft beneath his lips, Jensen couldn’t imagine stopping. “Jared, do you think, you could imagine being with me? I know it’s weird, I was your dog for so long, but I’m still me. I’ll listen to you, anything you want to say, and now I can talk back. I want the closeness we had. Don’t you miss that?”

"I want to listen to you," Jared murmured. His heart was thumping so loudly he was sure that it could be heard for miles. The scent of Jensen was all around him, the heat soaking through his clothes to his aching skin. "I like the sound of your voice."

“Then let us be close again,” Jensen breathed, mouth sliding over Jared’s as he scooted closer. He could feel the heat in Jared’s body, his half hard cock pressing in his jeans, and Jensen’s heart soared. This was a good sign, it had to be. His fingers moved up to Jared’s hair and he tilted his head back, dipping down to suck along the skin. “Maybe I can make you fall in love with me too.”

“Oh, Jensen.” Jared sighed. He knew in his heart already that he wasn’t going to need much convincing. He already adored the pieces of Jensen he knew and in their short time together he already treasured the man’s company.

His broad palms slid over Jensen’s back, holding him close in case he questioned whether Jared wanted him there. Turning his face into Jensen’s hair, he smiled. “Slow,” he whispered. “We have all the time in the world.”

“Yeah well, you haven’t been starved of human touch for ten years,” Jensen muttered, closing his eyes and leaning into Jared’s touch. “You have no idea how frustrating it is to be a twenty seven year old virgin when you really had no control in the matter.” He tilted his head so his lips could run over Jared’s skin, breathing in the man’s smell. “I’m not saying you have to fuck me right now, just, just something? So I know, maybe you’ll feel something.”

Jared pushed Jensen back firmly, hands cupping the other man's cheeks. "Jensen, I feel something for you. That was never a question, okay? You think I let you sleep in my bed because I feel sorry for you? Because I like you kicking me when you dream? Because that little snoring sound you make doesn't keep me awake?" When Jared saw the shocked expression on Jensen's face he softened his own expression until he was smiling.

"Okay, the snoring thing doesn't bother me at all. It's actually kind of adorable - and the kicking - I mean, if I'm holding you, you don't kick me." Jared pressed his lips softly to Jensen's, still cradling the man's cheeks in his hands. "The thing is, Jensen. I just don't want to hurt you - I want... I mean, how do you even know what you like?"

“I like men.” Jensen smiled softly up at Jared and half shrugged. “I already knew that before. And kissing, I definitely liked that. And, touching, I think I’m going to like that.” Jensen couldn’t imagine feeling anything but pleasure under Jared’s hands. “I like being here, sitting on you.”

Wetting his lips, Jensen shifted closer once more and lifted his hands, laying them over Jared’s. “I’m glad, that you like me. And that I don’t annoy you in bed. And, I know what my body wants, that’s pretty obvious.” He rolled his hips forward to make the point even _more_ obvious, just in case Jared had any more doubts.

“And you have any doubt about how I feel?” Jared was _more_ than turned on and was quite certain Jensen was aware of that. “Or you enjoying playing coy?” His smiled widened and his hands slipped down to Jensen’s shoulders.

“I’m starting to really believe,” Jensen murmured and let his hands drag down Jared’s chest. “So, can we be real boyfriends then?” Dipping forward he let his nose move over Jared’s jaw, pausing when he realized how close to nuzzling that was.

"I said you were my boyfriend. You ever known me to lie?" Jared's smile turned a little teasing and he tightened his hands on Jensen's arms. Moving quickly he swung Jensen to the side, and threw him down on the couch then pinned him there with his own body. He pushed forward with his hips until he was settled between Jensen's legs, lips almost touching Jensen's, their breath mingling.

"I asked you a question," Jared said. Jensen's face was flushed, his eyes a little dazed looking and Jared licked his lips. He was looking forward to finding out all the things that Jensen liked.

“What?” Jensen blinked a few times, staring up at Jared. His entire body felt overheated and he could barely breathe. Something about Jared holding him down, pinning him there, was driving Jensen crazy. God Jensen really like that. “A question? What was that?” He knew he sounded dazed and probably ridiculously turned on but he didn’t care.

As Jared spoke he emphasized each word with a subtle roll of his hips. "You ever known me to lie," he said slowly.

“Oh I,” Jensen gasped and arched up into Jared, his hands sliding into his boyfriend’s hair. “N-no, you don’t lie.” His heart was racing, his body humming, and his hips jerked nearly desperately up against Jared’s.

"Good," Jared murmured. Letting Jensen take all his weight he ground his hips across his new lover's, his mouth finally finding the sweat damp flesh of Jensen's neck. He licked and nipped his way down the long stretch of flesh and nuzzled into Jensen's shirt to suck hard on a patch of skin.

Feeling Jensen's body twisting and vibrating beneath him was insanely hot. Jared moaned, sucked harder then released his hold on the skin. "Marked," he murmured.

“Oh god, Jared,” Jensen moaned and arched up into the heat of Jared’s mouth. He’d never felt something so maddening, Jensen was pretty sure he was going to lose control before Jared even got down his body. His fingers combed through Jared’s hair and his spine lifted him up to press against Jared’s lips and teeth.

Legs spread, Jensen stretched them up and wrapped them around Jared’s calves, hips jerking up to find more grinding friction. “Fuck. Jared, you- you’re driving me crazy.”

"I can make you come just like this," Jared said against Jensen's shoulder. "You think I can? You like it?" His hips were rocking hard forward, meeting Jensen's with enough force to drive the flush further up his neck.

“Jesus, yes. Yes I do.” Jensen couldn’t really imagine anything better, and they weren’t even undressed. Jared making him come like this was clearly a very, very real possibility. Already he felt steps away from his orgasm and his hands slapped down, nails catching on skin under the bottom of Jared’s shirt and dragging slowly up. “P-please, Jared.”

Pushing himself up for the briefest amount of time possible, Jared nearly ripped his t-shirt trying to get it off. He wanted Jensen's hands on him. He tugged briefly at the sweatshirt Jensen was wearing and gave up. "Fuckin' thing," he murmured as he dropped back down.

It took a surprising amount of wiggling but Jensen finally managed to untangle himself from the sweatshirt and t-shirt and he’d never been more relieved. Especially when Jared’s bare chest was suddenly against his once more. “God,” Jensen gasped, surprised by the heat and pleasure curling through him. His hips jerked up and he closed his eyes, rolling up into the delicious waves of heat and friction.

Jared mouthed his way down Jensen's neck, along his collar bone and down. God he could taste the man's flesh all day and never grow tired of it. A wave of muscle kept his body moving against Jensen's. Jared could feel how hard his lover was, _knew_ that Jensen wouldn't be able to take that kind of stimulation for long.

Letting his hand slip down Jensen's chest, Jared moaned softly as his hips jerked forward. "God, you're so ... amazing, the way you move."

As he spoke, Jared caught Jensen's nipple between his fingers and squeezed it, gently at first, harder when he felt another shudder run down his lover's body.

Sucking in deep and shaky breaths, Jensen’s fingers clawed across Jared’s skin and his body continued to move. It was like Jared was controlling him like some twisted sort of puppet, pulling at all the right strings to get Jensen’s body to writhe and twist and arch in ways he never thought he’d be capable of.

Jensen was starting to think the minute Jared’s hand came to rest on his cock he’d be done for. It was embarrassing but he _wanted_ it, desperately. “C-close, Jared, god,” he gasped, the words lined with a plea. His stomach clenched and rolled, body thrumming with the need to find some type of release.

Easing himself back slowly, Jared slid his hand down and flicked Jensen's button open then lowered his zipper. His hand was shaking as he lifted the soft cotton of Jensen's boxers and pulled it down below his lover's cock. Holding himself there, poised above Jensen's body, Jared stroked the swollen flesh and leaned in to take Jensen's mouth in a long, slow, kiss.

Just as Jensen had suspected, one touch was all it took. Jared’s palm soaked heat into his cock and Jensen’s hips jerked up, his entire body tensing. As Jared’s tongue slid into his mouth, Jensen sucked hard and desperate, his lover swallowing up the low moan that rose up from the pit of his stomach. Jensen’s orgasm was nearly blinding, his shoulders tense, his back arched up into the heat of his lover.

"God," Jared whispered. He watched Jensen's face, the way his feature tensed and then softened as his body writhed and jerked below him. _Gorgeous_. It was the only word that described the man. Jensen's hair was tousled, his cheeks rosy with desire, his eyes dark when his long lashes weren't settled against his cheeks. "You're beautiful."

A deep blush rose up on Jensen’s cheeks and he bit down on his lip, blinking up at Jared. “Not, not really,” he murmured, leaning up to brush a kiss to Jared’s lips. “That was really really good.” He grinned up at his lover and slid his hand down between them, trailing his fingers over Jared’s bare chest, smearing through the few sticky stripes of come. “I um, kind of made a mess.” His blush grew and he laughed nervously, feeling all the world like a seventeen year old fumbling through his first time - which, in a twisted way he was, not that he’d tell Jared that.

"I don't care," Jared said softly. Falling to the side slightly, he pressed up against Jensen and sucked on his earlobe for a few moments. "I was thinkin' shower next, you could, you know. You could get me clean."

Jensen’s eyes widened and he jumped up with a surprising burst of energy. His knees felt temporarily weak as he climbed over Jared but he grinned, bouncing in spot. “Yes. Come on. I’ll get you plenty clean.”

Jared shook his head slightly and laughed. "I'm not sure I'm going to be able to keep up with you."

Rolling off the couch slowly, Jared stood and adjusted his jeans. “Well, let’s go then.” Grinning, Jared headed down the hall.

“I’m sure you’ll figure out a way to keep up with me.” Jensen smirked and snatched Jared’s hand, tugging him down the hall. He was fairly sure Jared was the perfect reward for ten years spent as a dog. And life pretty much couldn’t be better.


End file.
